The region promises picturesque views and plenty of pinot
Crisp, tangy sauvignon blanc is the wine most often associated with New Zealand, but in the gorgeous Central Otago Valley, on the lower half of Te Waipounamu (the Maori name for the South Island), pinot noir grows to near-perfection. Here are must-visit pinot producers for four types of travelers to the picturesque region.
For the Shutterbug
Pristine rows of grapevines slope down from the tasting room at Rippon to the vivid blue waters of Lake Wānaka, all of it encircled by the snow-dusted ridges of the Southern Alps. This winery outside the town of Wānaka might be a great place to taste pinot noir (not to mention a delightful carbonic maceration gamay), but it’s an even better place to break out your camera and take landscape photos that will get you followed by all the travel inspiration accounts on Instagram.
For the Design Enthusiast
The tasting room at Te Kano Estate is a real stunner: a collection of repurposed shipping containers extending over the vines and overlooking the Kawarau River and the surrounding area’s rugged rock reefs. The design is not only striking but also sustainable, which goes with the winery’s eco-friendly ethos. (Each spring, staffers plant seeds from the golden flowers of a primal kōwhai tree at Te Kano’s largest vineyard in an effort to help regenerate the land.) Not surprisingly, the pinots are organically farmed.
For the Bird Nerd
A reverence for nature is central to Peregrine. This is evident both in the winery’s organic farming practices— which produce excellent pinot noir, Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wine, and more—and in its environmental programs. Peregrine has worked with the New Zealand Department of Conservation and Wingspan Trust to help protect rare birds, including the New Zealand falcon, one of the world’s fastest raptors. The building that houses the tasting room and production facility, just 20 minutes outside Queenstown, is even designed to evoke the rotation of a falcon’s wing.
For the Solitude Seeker
Located in Alexandra, toward the eastern edge of Central Otago, Judge Rock is even further off the beaten path than some of the region’s other wineries. The small, family-run spot makes award-winning wines, however, ranging from its acclaimed pinot to a delicious pét-nat and a St. Laurent-based port. If you make the trip, you’re likely to do your tasting in the winemaker’s garden while being regaled with family stories—and you can even spend the night in a cottage with views of the vineyard.
